It is customary practice in the handling of trash or waste materials to place them in plastic bags and close the bags by tapes, twist-on means or other means. The so-filled bags are then loaded on trucks or other vehicles for transportation to a waste disposal facility where they are then unloaded for either temporary storage or immediate processing. A necessary step in the waste disposal process for loaded trash bags is to break them open and remove the contents for sorting and selective handling. For example, relatively large metal objects may be removed from the waste mass while combustible materials may be conveyed to a kiln or furnace for incineration.
At the present time, loaded plastic bags are typically opened by dropping from a sufficient height to effect rupture, subjecting to a compressive load, or to a lesser extent they are manually torn apart.